


hold me close, on nights like this

by SilverRollu



Series: Turbulence AU [2]
Category: Tales of the Abyss
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Established Relationship, Fluff, Freckles, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-12-23 04:42:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11982357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverRollu/pseuds/SilverRollu
Summary: The dusting of freckles on Luke's face are more pronounced after a day on the beach. And Asch loves it, you see; they're like little constellations.





	hold me close, on nights like this

**Author's Note:**

> Set some time before the events of Turbulence. It's all good fun.

Luke sighs from where he lies across Asch’s couch, having collapsed onto it as soon as he walked through into the room. Beach dates were fun but utterly exhausting; just the drive there and back, the actual beach itself, and their outing to dinner led to them getting back much later than anticipated. Luke wasn’t one to turn in too early, but he definitely wasn’t expecting to be out until midnight when they’d left early that afternoon.

Asch grumbles at him from a few feet away, and Luke barely manages to lift his head enough to watch as his boyfriend moves  _ his _ bags. The bag’s luke left in front of the door, next to his sandals and beach towels.

“Sorry, babe,” Luke manages, slightly muffled by the couch cushions, and Asch responds with a huff. Luke turns over on his back so he can watch properly. Asch moves in and out of his line of vision, putting stuff away, cleaning, going in and out of the kitchen. Eventually Luke opens his eyes (when had he closed them?) and finds Asch standing in front of him, leaning down into his personal space. Luke only has the energy to snort, which comes out as more of a passionate exhale than anything.

“Are you planning on sleeping out here?”

“Iunno. It’s comfy.”

Asch gives a real snort at that, rolls his eyes. At least Luke is sure he’s rolling his eyes; he’s started drifting off again so he can’t actually see the man in front of him.

“Go shower. You’re getting sand all over my couch.”

“Make me.”

The couch creaks a little when Asch settles down next to him. Luke holds his breath, expecting some sort of attack. When a few moments pass and he’s not being tickled or threatened to be pushed off Luke opens his eyes again.

Asch is openly staring at him. Luke starts to say something but stops when he realizes he doesn’t have any smart remark to throw at him. He ends up smiling, as sleepy as he is, because Asch doesn’t have that crease in his brow that he usually does, doesn’t look vaguely angry or upset. It puts a tiny flutter in Luke’s chest. Asch responds to his smile with one of his own, and he reaches over, dropping one of his hands on Luke’s face. He cups his cheek, runs his thumb over Luke’s skin softly. It’s so unbearably precious that Luke giggles.

“Don’t laugh you dweeb.”

“Oh, so  _ I’m _ the dweeb here?”

Asch pinches the cheek, making Luke whine. It’s an exaggerated thing that makes Asch roll his eyes for sure this time, rubbing his fingers over the pinched area carefully as if apologizing. After a few seconds Asch leans over and Luke lets his eyes flutter closed as they kiss. The kiss is quick and sweet, after which Asch pulls back and gives another peck to his cheek.

Luke laughs again, breathlessly. Asch seems to have made it his mission to kiss him endlessly now. His cheeks, his nose, eyelids, forehead. Meanwhile Asch has moved over Luke even more, bracing an arm against the cushion beside Luke's  head. He doesn’t say a word; kisses from Luke’s face down his jaw, neck, bits of shoulder that’s showing from the wide collar of Luke’s shirt.

Eventually, after a bit of fidgeting, Luke guides Asch back to his mouth, kissing him deeply— messy because he’s still rather sleepy, but no less enthusiastic because all he feels from his head to toe is warmth.

After a few kisses exchanged in this way Asch breaks away, laughing a little, and gives him this  _ look _ . One that’s small and so full of love that it goes straight to Luke’s head. “You interrupted me. Fuckin’ rude.”

“What?” Luke says, though it comes out sounding slightly slurred and in all honesty he doesn’t particularly care what the answer is. So long as Asch keeps kissing him.

Asch tilts his head, regarding Luke with a heavy look. It’s one so unguarded and open that Luke almost wants to look away, because he knows how Asch hates feeling vulnerable. It’s a lovely look on him though; eyes unbearably green, the edges of his lips curling up into a slight smile. His hair had been pulled into a bun at the beginning of the day, but by now has fallen apart and been pushed into a sloppy ponytail, dark red strands falling every which way out of it. He looks soft, something most people wouldn’t say about Asch normally, but most people aren’t Luke. Most people don’t get to look at this man and see him for the pile of mush he really is.

Asch, instead of directly answering Luke’s sleepy question, covers Luke’s body completely with his own and goes back to the kisses from before. Luke, as fidgety as he is, still feels charmed by it. One of Asch’s hands has settled at his side, idly slipping under his shirt to rub small circles into his skin.

“What  _ are _ you doing, babe?” Luke asks.

“Counting,” Asch responds, and his voice is a ghost against Luke’s skin. Luke shivers and he knows Asch can feel it.

“Counting?” Luke tries to look at him but Asch’s face is hidden, buried in the crook of his neck. “Counting what?”

Asch grunts, leans up enough to match his boyfriend’s gaze. “Haven’t figured it out yet? You’re covered in them.” He leans forward and leaves a feather light kiss on the tip of Luke’s nose. “Like here, and,” another kiss, this time right above his eyelid, “Here, too.” He brushes his knuckles against Luke’s face, pushing away his bangs. “Everywhere, really. If I didn’t know better, I’d say the sun was your best friend instead of Guy.”

Luke blinks. It takes a few moments for it all to catch up to him, but once it hits him that Asch was talking about his freckles he feels the urge to scream. Because Asch was talking about his  _ freckles _ and  _ counting _ them like some romantic fool and god if that wasn’t the sappy kind of shit he could fall for. Or feel embarrassed over, more like, because he can feel his face heating the longer Asch stares at him.

“Y…you fucking  _ nerd. _ ”

Asch has the gall to laugh at him again, a deep, full laugh. Luke would threaten to kick him but at this point Asch’s weight against him is too warm and comforting to dislodge, even for a moment. So he huffs and turns his head away, putting on an over-exaggerated pout. If he keeps it up enough, maybe Asch will stop laughing long enough to kiss it off of him. 

He does.

They fall asleep, like that, cuddled up on Asch’s small couch, lodging sand into the cushions for weeks to come. Neither of them find the strength to care.

**Author's Note:**

> my [twitter](http://twitter.com/vanridgeway) for those so inclined ;)


End file.
